


Maritime Melody

by pluiedunord



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M, Mermaids, Sea
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-06-07
Updated: 2012-06-08
Packaged: 2017-11-07 05:06:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/427191
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pluiedunord/pseuds/pluiedunord
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A wild sea storm brings two beings together- Yao, a mysterious merman, and Kiku, a young fisher. What will happen during their time alone on an island? Multiple chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> This story was originally posted to FF.net, but due to mass deletion of stories on that website, I figured that I'd come here as a backup! It's still posted there, but I will also be using this website, just because. Enjoy chapter one of Maritime Melody!

Honda Kiku, proud member of Nippon Fishing Fleet, Number 12. At twenty-two years old, this fresh faced Japanese man couldn't remember a time when he wasn't near water. His father was a fisherman, his grandfather was a fisherman, all of his uncles and great uncles were fishermen, and every previous generation going back to the sixteenth century had their roots on a boat. Now, it was his turn. When he had children, each son of his would be expected to fish as well. It wasn't like Kiku minded, however; he absolutely loved the sea. The sound of waves crashing gently against the boat, the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and, most of all... the smell of fresh fish.

Squid, tuna, crab, and salmon (Kiku's personal favorite), among others, filled the boat daily. Kiku was always on deck, pulling lines in with his well-trained arms (although he was smaller than most of the other crew members, standing at a mere five feet and three inches), revealing their catch of the day. It was dangerous work, especially when a storm decided to come through, but every crew member on the Nippon Fishing Fleet, Number 12, seemed to make the best of their jobs. They laughed, drank sake, and ate fish- usually the fish that was deemed unworthy to be sent back to Japan and places otherwise, but the crew couldn't care less. Good times were had when one was not working on board.

Well, there was one exception...

A rather large one, at that.

One particular storm ripped through the Sea of Japan, just a few miles off the coast of China, where the ship was currently stationed, earning their loot. It came as a surprise to most, as the storm radar was having repairs done, so there was very little time to get to shore for safety. Kiku had never seen waves that big; at least a hundred feet tall, perhaps more. Men were running for their lives, clutching their hats to their hearts, making way for the lower deck.

"Honda!" the captain, Fujito, shouted over the roars of thunder and smacking of waves. "Get below, now!"

Kiku was too stunned. His hands clutched the railing on the side of the boat, and his eyes remained fixated on the onslaught of water, heading straight toward him. Winds ripped his hat off and blew his hair in every direction; it was only two in the evening, but the sky was already pitch black. In his twenty-two years of living, Kiku had seen plenty, but this storm, by far, was the most horrific to ever cross his eyes.

"Did you hear me, Honda?" the captain yelled again. "Get below or you'll die!"

However, Kiku's body had another idea. His mind screamed _move, move, get down below like he said!_ but he stayed still. Shouts from Fujito and the other men crossed his ears, but he didn't seem to listen one bit. Their pleas were futile; soon enough, Kiku was the only one left on deck without realizing it. Somehow, he remained standing, still holding on with all of his might to the side of his precious ship. Nippon Fishing Fleet, Number 12; the boat his grandfather helped to build, the boat his father sailed on for fourty years... was going down.

One of the largest waves yet, nearly a hundred and fifty feet tall, by Kiku's estimate, came full force toward the ship, and Kiku's vision went to nothing.

\--

Pain. Pounding, aching, taunting, throbbing pain. What a wonderful first thing to feel upon awakening...

Awakening? He couldn't believe it. Covered in sand, Kiku shot up, bringing even more pain. Still, it appeared that he was alive. His head screamed to lie back down, but somehow he knew that would do no good. He had to figure out where he was, and quickly. Finally opening his eyes, he received somewhat of an answer.

The sea in front of him was calm. Tiny waves floated over the shore, cascading against rocks and brightly colored shells. The sand was a beautiful grain, soft and warm, although it was still dark. Was it still day, or did it hit night already? Unfortunately, Kiku had lost his watch in the storm, so he had no clue. His uniform was dripping wet and covered in salt and seaweed. Fingers and toes caked with dry sand, it was quite difficult to move, accompanied with the resonating pain all over his body. Waiting for some relief, Kiku simply sat and watched the water for what seemed like hours. _I must be near China,_ he thought to himself as a small crab scuttled by. Was it the mainland, or an island? He couldn't be sure at all until he had himself a look around. Pausing for a bit longer, he heaved himself up- but his soaking clothes weighed him down. Shrugging, he removed his shirt to squeeze it out. No one else was around, so he had no qualms about being naked... again, with a shrug, he took his pants off and squeezed them out. Deciding that they were enough, he advanced forward in only undergarments to explore the surroundings.

It was, undoubtedly, a beach. A small forest sat behind him, with a rocky cave to his back left. There weren't many animals, though he could hear birds and crickets singing in the trees and shrubs. Much more peaceful than the sounds of the previous storm that landed him here, he remarked. For now, he wouldn't bother walking around much, as he was quite exhausted and felt a bit murky. Before sleep, he felt it necessary to wash off his hands and feet, ridding them of dry sand. As he did so, something bright caught his eye, somewhere near the cave. It was glimmering, a light red, as brilliant as the circle dotting the _Hinomaru._ To Kiku's eye, it appeared to be moving. But how? The wind was barely blowing at this point... somehow, the image was intriguing, and despite his better judgement, the man advanced toward it.

Closer and closer he got, the image appeared more vivid. The crimson sparkles began to light the way, almost as if it was calling to him. His feet moved with no regard along the sand, dirtying again, and a mere ten feet away from the mysterious object, he saw...

Long, brown hair. Bright amber eyes, blinking wildly. A perfectly tanned body. The source of the beautiful red shimmer- a long tail.

The majestic creature, perched on a rock, seemed to stare right into Kiku's soul.


	2. Meeting the Merman

It was a merman.

Yes, most certainly so. A mermaid would have something covering her chest; yet, this creature was bare, save for the scales starting below its- his- belly button. His long tresses of hair hung over his shoulders, brown and silky and enchanting. He lounged against the rock as if it was the most comfortable thing on the planet, tail flapping nonchalantly a few inches into the water. Bright eyes still stayed locked on Kiku.

Not for the first time that day, Kiku found himself too stunned to move. True, he had seen plenty of fish in his lifetime, but never a mermaid, let alone a merman. It was frightening and beautiful at the same time; so human-like, yet so much resembling a sea creature... where were his gills? What about his reproductive organs? Could they really sing so well?

With a startled gasp, the merman jumped off of the rock and back into the sea. This stirred Kiku out of his daze; he, too, made way to another place. He returned back to his discarded clothing and, knowing now that he knew that he was not alone, put them back on. Then, he sat in the sand and stared at the rock where the merman was previously perched.

Unbeknownst to him, the creature was watching him from under the surface. Intriguing thing it was, really... the first human he'd seen in quite a while. It came from this area, there was no doubt about that. Its eyes told the story, slanted and dark. A sailor, undoubtedly, shipwrecked like many others that came and died... only legends now, as this particular merman had never seen any of them. Its face was pale and its hair was black, deeply contrasting with each other. What a small body it had! Those "legs" dangling from its hip bones were incredibly short and covered with hair. It looked positively ridiculous. It trembled as if it was freezing. Maybe it wasn't quite used to island breezes yet... but what did the merman care? Humans should be elsewhere, after all. Still, he found himself wondering the whereabouts of the stranger's ship, its fellow crew members, if it had family...

 _Foolish,_ his conscious said abruptly, _don't bother yourself with the human._ Yet, he did. It was interesting, after all. Quite cute, in its own disturbing way. For some reason, he wanted to sing at this moment, lure the creature over to the water, touch its legs covered with flesh and hair...

 _Again with the foolish thoughts!_ his conscious butted in again. _Quit that, Yao._ The merman called Yao shook his head; what harm could be done? It took much power for a merperson to turn into a human, after all... and if he did end up becoming one, what would he have to lose? _A LOT!_ spat back his conscious. _Shut up,_ Yao retorted, and lifted his head out of the water, opening his mouth to begin a melody.

Closing his eyes, Kiku started to fall into slumber... until he heard it. That song. It was familiar... from a movie, perhaps? A television show? A famous record? Whatever it was, his body decided to move toward it, much like the red shimmer of the merman's tail lured him to the rock. It was beautiful, one of the most perfect songs he'd ever heard. Light, yet strong, and high, winding melodies graced his sea-worn ears. A tingle flashed down his spine gently, and before he knew it, he was face-to-face with the familiarity of the merman again.

"Hi," he said, grinning. "I'm Yao. Male or female?"

Kiku couldn't believe it. It spoke... in almost the same tone of the song. So, it was true; merpeople could sing, and incredibly well. Not only did he look beautiful, but he sounded it. Stunned, Kiku cracked his mouth open and spoke for the first time since he'd landed on the island.

"K-Kiku," he croaked, "male."

Yao's grin widened as he offered a slimy hand to the other. Hesitantly, Kiku took it. Daring, but worth it; the human was very warm and soft. "A pleasure, Kiku."


End file.
